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Travis Barlow of Broward, Florida Arrested in Hit-and-Run Case

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accident-action-asphalt-6078-300x200Travis Barlow of Broward, Florida was arrested on January 27 for his alleged involvement in a hit-and-run incident.

Barlow, 27, is charged with leaving the scene of an accident, driving with a suspended license, and failing to obey. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the arrest report, the alleged hit-and-run crash occurred in Davie on January 27. Police officers reportedly noticed two vehicles traveling at a high rate of speed. The driver of the trailing vehicle purportedly attempted to capture the officers’ attention by honking and flashing her lights.

With the police in pursuit, the two vehicles eventually turned down a dead end and stopped. The woman in the trailing vehicle told the officers that the driver of the other vehicle, a Toyota Camry, had struck her some minutes ago.

The driver of the Camry allegedly tried to leave the scene. He attempted to escape by making a U-turn while sticking his middle finger out at a pursuing police officer, but lost control of the vehicle and struck a sidewalk, disabling his vehicle.

The driver was identified as Barlow, who immediately told the officer that he “wasn’t driving” even though he was the only person in the car. The officers searched his name and discovered that he had two active warrants for operating a vehicle on a suspended license.

Barlow was placed in the police patrol car where he allegedly became violent. He kicked the vehicle’s door and banged his head on the partition. He also spewed racist statements at one of the officers and claimed his father would hunt him down and kill him, the report said.

Barlow continued to threaten the officers as he was transported to a nearby medical center. He was cleared by medical personnel and was transported to jail.

Another car crash was reported in Palm Beach County last week. Fire rescue worker John Michael Gratton of Coral Springs was arrested on DUI charges after he allegedly crashed into five vehicles.

Gratton, 38, faces multiple charges, including DUI damage with personal injury, reckless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting an officer without violence. He was ordered held on $3,000 bond.

According to the police report, the alleged DUI car crash occurred on January 19. Gratton was driving a pickup truck at a high rate of speed while under the influence when he crashed into four vehicles. The collision pushed one of those cars into a fifth vehicle.

Gratton ran away from the scene on foot and was found hiding under some bushes by Davie police. The officer who found him reported that he was stumbling, had blood shot, glassy eyes, and slurred speech. He refused to take a blood alcohol test.

Gratton is a driver for the Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. He has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the case.

Florida Hit and Run Attorney

If you have been involved in a car accident, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experience hit and run attorneys.

Source: 1.30.18 Broward man alone in car denies driving following hit-and-run incident.pdf

Shir Frenkel Sues Royal Caribbean Cruises After Husband Killed on Honeymoon Cruise Zipline Excursion

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clouds-cruise-cruise-ship-813011-300x200Shir Frenkel of Miami, Florida claims Royal Caribbean Cruises is responsible for a zip line accident that killed her husband Igal Tyszman during their honeymoon cruise.

Frenkel, 27, sued the company in Miami federal court on November 30 and is seeking more than $1 million in damages.

The lawsuit states that Frenkel and Tyszman, 24, were passengers on the Allure of the Seas in July. The newlyweds booked a zip line excursion during a stop at the port in Roatan, Honduras. Frenkel went before her husband on the zip line and that was when the activity turned fatal. She hadn’t completed the trip when Tyszman used the line and collided with her. The collision killed Tyszman and seriously injured Frenkel.

According to the suit, the couple believed the excursion was one of Royal Caribbean’s activities, but it was actually operated by an independent contractor. They paid for Royal Caribbean for the activity and the tickets bore the cruise line’s logo. They expected the excursion would adhere to “the highest safety standards in the industry and would be appropriately vetted initially and on an ongoing basis,” the lawsuit said.

Frenkel accuses Royal Caribbean of gross negligence and negligent misrepresentation. She claims the cruise line was aware of several other incidents involving the excursion and had knowledge of the potential danger. The cruise line breached its duty to its passengers by implying the activity was safe.

“There is no way for guests to know that this zip line excursion was not being operated by Royal Caribbean,” Frenkel’s attorney said. “These newlyweds were expecting a fun excursion with the highest safety standards and that is obviously not what they received, and the consequences in this case proved tragic.”

In the lawsuit, Frenkel says she suffered loss of companionship, loss of support and services, mental anguish, medical and funeral expenses. She is suing both Royal Caribbean and the zip line tour operator for negligent selection and retention.

A spokesperson for Royal Caribbean told the press that the company doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

Florida Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been involved in a situation that caused injuries, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury attorneys.

Source: 12.7.18 Royal Caribbean’s negligence allegedly caused honeymooner’s fatal zip line incident.pdf

Construction Worker Samuel Landis Loses Leg in Faulty Miami Beach Condo Demolition

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Construction worker Samuel Landis reportedly lost his leg on Monday after the debris from the demolition of a condo in Miami Beach spread further than expected. His condition is listed as critical.

According to news sources, the building slated for demolition was a 13-story, 55-year-old condominium building known as the Marlborough House at 5775 Collins Avenue. The entire building collapsed in seconds, sending debris flying through the area. The debris and dust spread across avenue and shut down one of the main roads.

“The building collapsed in an unsafe manner, causing debris and thick smoke to cover Collins Avenue,” a Miami Beach patrol officer wrote in the incident report. “(He and another officer) quickly entered our patrol vehicle to escape the thick smoke.”

Some of the debris crashed into Landis, 46. He was found unconscious on the ground with a severed leg by the two police officers. They performed chest compressions on him until he regained consciousness. He was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

People in neighboring buildings were informed of the scheduled demolition before the collapse on Monday. Miami Beach Fire Rescue performed a search of the rubble, but found no additional victims.

“All of the construction workers were accounted for and as a precaution they deployed search and rescue dogs and cadaver dogs,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber told news sources.

Officials have not yet determined what went wrong during the demolition. The building was bought by developer Jose Isaac Peres. He reportedly plans to build a 19-story building on the site, hence Monday’s demolition. Peres’ development company referred all questions to contractor Winmar Construction, Inc.

Winmar released a statement describing the incident as a “construction accident” and said the planned and approved demolition was conducted by subcontractor AlliedBean Demolition.

“We are working closely with city officials and industry agencies to understand what happened during Allied’s demolition of the structure,” Luis Leon, president of Winmar Construction, said in a statement to the press. He referred all questions about the incident to AlliedBean Demolition.

Landis was one of AlliedBean Demolition’s project managers. He has started and operated several construction-related businesses in Florida and Illinois over the past two decades, including Omega Demolition from 2003 to 2013. AlliedBean has not released any statement about the incident.

Miami Beach police are reportedly investigating the incident from a criminal angle, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating from a worker safety angle. Building inspectors have already determined that the adjacent buildings were not impacted by the collapse.

Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been injured in an accident, you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury attorneys.

Source: 7.24.18 faulty miami beach condo building demolition severed injured worker’s leg.pdf

Paul Wilson Streater Identified as Driver in Delray Beach Crash That Killed Four

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paul_streater_crash-300x169Paul Wilson Streater of Fort Lauderdale, Florida has been identified as the driver of the pickup truck that crashed into a minivan on Saturday in Delray Beach, killing four people.

Streater, 21, remained on the scene and hasn’t been charged. He is reportedly cooperating with investigators.

“He is cooperating with investigators and was released from police custody pending the conclusion of the traffic homicide investigation,” the Delray Beach Police Department said on its Twitter account.

According to police spokesperson Dani Moschella, the alleged crash occurred at around 7:20 p.m. on Saturday night. A gray Chevy Silverado pickup was driving at “a very high rate of speed” south on Federal Highway when it encountered traffic.

The driver of the pickup truck swerved into a turning lane to avoid the traffic, but there was a white minivan waiting to make a left turn on that lane. The Silverado rear-ended the minivan and the impact pushed both cars into the northbound lane, where they crashed into a Buick Encore SUV.

Fire rescue workers used a winch to separate the three entangled vehicles, and cut open the disfigured minivan using multiple hydraulic tools to reach the four people inside. Streater was not injured and the two men in the Buick were unharmed. The four people inside the minivan were killed in the crash. Their names have not been released.

Investigators are trying to determine whether drugs or alcohol were a factor in the crash. Streater’s attorney, Samuel Halpern, told the press his client was not drunk or on drugs at the time of the crash. He reportedly allowed police to take a blood sample.

“It’s a nightmare. I can just say that his heart is going out to the family and he couldn’t be more remorseful that this happened,” Halpern told The Palm Beach Post. “It was an accident. he’s just extremely, extremely distraught.”

Halpern wouldn’t comment on if Streater was speeding stating that “witnesses can be wrong,” and couldn’t speculate whether his client will face charges for the crash.

“It’s up to the police whether they want to pursue a criminal case for this accident or not. It’s a question of do they legally believe that he was violating a criminal statute as opposed to a civil infraction,” Halpern said. “Unfortunately traffic accidents happen all the time and criminal charges are rare, and I would hope there are no criminal charges. If there are then we’ll deal with it.”

Halpern added that Streater comes from a “warm and loving family” and they support him “100 percent.”

Personal Injury Attorney

If you have been involved in a car accident, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of Florida’s most experienced personal injury defense attorneys.

Source: 4.29.18 Delray crash driver identified as Paul Streater, 21, of Fort Lauderdale.pdf

Brightline Train Hits Another Pedestrian in South Florida in Sixth Accident Since Testing Began Last Year

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Brightline-car-300x168A Brightline train struck a man in Wilton Manors on Thursday evening. This was the sixth accident involving the private passenger rail line since it started testing its trains in South Florida last year.

The unidentified man was transported to Broward General Hospital with non-fatal injuries.

According to Wilton Manors police, the crash occurred before 8 p.m. in the 1200 block of NE 24th Street. Fire rescue officials told the press that the man managed to lay between the tracks, which was how the train rolled on top of him without killing him. It is unclear if the safety gates were lowered when the accident occurred.

Brightline, which began operations in South Florida last month, has now been involved in four deaths and two accidents since it started testing its trains in the region last year. In the previous incidents, a pedestrian or cyclist either stood on the tracks or attempted to cross when a train was approaching, investigators said.

A bicyclist crossing the tracks was killed by a train in Boynton Beach on January 17, and a pedestrian who crossed a gate while a train was approaching was killed a week earlier. Another pedestrian was struck and injured by a train a few weeks later.

It is unclear why there have been so many incidents in the region, but Brightline said its safety measures were not to blame. In each case, the safety gates were lowered, lights flashed, and a whistle sounded.

Some have speculated that ignorance of the private passenger line’s presence on the tracks may have led to the fatalities of people who thought they were racing freight trains. Brightline has put out several statements urging pedestrians and cyclists not to race its trains.

The Coral Gables-based company plans to expand operations to include Miami-Dade County. County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has requested that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) conduct a safety review of the portion of the railway on which Brightline wants to travel.

In his letter to FDOT, Gimenez noted Brightline’s “unfortunate incidents” and requested a state safety review to look into “any deficiencies that may be attributed to these incidents.” Gimenez asked the state to establish a plan of action in order to improve safety for the public.

Both of Florida’s senators, Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio, have also written letters to Federal Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao requesting a review of the passenger line’s safety protocols.

“It is critical that the Department of Transportation assess the safety measures with Brightline, while coordinating with local officials and members of the community to prevent future tragedies from occuring,” Rubio wrote in his letter. “In response to these recent and tragic events, how does the Department intend to ensure that the Florida Department of Transportation, its local partners and Florida East Coast Railway safeguard pedestrians at Brightline rail crossings?”

Brightline is reportedly working on a new PSA campaign and is collaborating with the county government, the transportation authority, the school district, and emergency responders and stakeholders at all cities on its route.

Source: 2.8.18 Pedestrian hit by Brightline train; 6th accident since testing began last year.pdf